Business

Al Jazeera America Announces First Layoffs Since Launch

Al Jazeera America has initiated its first round of layoffs since its launch. Ehab Al Shihabi, second from right, interim CEO for Al-Jazeera America, gestures as he chats with newsroom staff after the network's first broadcast on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013 in New York.

Al Jazeera America has initiated its first round of layoffs since its launch, with its social media-focused show The Stream and its sports division taking the brunt of the cuts.

The layoffs were widely reported in the "dozens," but a source at Al Jazeera America indicated that the number of staffers eliminated was fewer than 100. In addition to the staff cuts, a number of freelancers were also let go, who were said to be the majority of the layoffs.

The cuts mark the first large-scale contraction from Al Jazeera America since its launch in August. The channel has struggled to attract viewers, including reports that its ratings have come in below those of its former home, Current TV.

Kate O'Brian, president of Al Jazeera America, informed staffers in a memo of the move.

"We have reached what I will call our steady-state level of operations and we are bringing our staffing levels into alignment with our long-range plan as per our original business case. As a result, certain parts of our organization will expand or contract and staff levels and resources will be recalibrated," O'Brian wrote.

She also noted that the total number of staff at the company would remain more than 800.

Dawn Bridges, executive vice president for corporate communications at Al Jazeera America, told Mashable that the move had followed on the channel's efforts to get up and running and no other large-scale layoffs were expected.

Al Jazeera America launched in early 2013 after the Al Jazeera Media Network, the multimedia conglomerate owned by the government of Qatar, bought Al Gore's Current TV. The company then aggressively recruited journalists, hiring 689 employees that joined the 200 remaining from Current TV, according to a New Yorkreport from July.

Below, Kate O'Brian's full memo to staffers:

Dear Al Jazeera America Colleagues,

As we prepared for our launch over the past year we set ambitious and aggressive goals. In the seven months since launch we have built a channel that it took other networks years to do. As you all know, that required extensive effort, planning and resources. We always understood that we would need considerable resources to meet our goals. We never wavered in our commitment because we knew that a surge in our capacity was essential to a successful launch of Al Jazeera America.

As a result of this extensive planning and investment, we met our own deadlines. We should all be very proud of what has been built in such a short time. Now it is time to set our sights on new goals, requiring different levels and areas of investment and resources. We have reached what I will call our steady-state level of operations and we are bringing our staffing levels into alignment with our long-range plan as per our original business case. As a result, certain parts of our organization will expand or contract and staff levels and resources will be recalibrated.

This will have an immediate impact on some staff, freelancers, independent contractors, and other project-oriented individuals who have been with us for several months. Those that are effected have been sent a note with information on meeting their supervisors and HR representatives later today. These colleagues have provided a valuable service to us for which we are deeply grateful.

On behalf of the entire senior management team, I’d like to thank our departing staff and freelancers for all the work they did to get AJAM up and running.

You will recall Ehab’s letter last month where he affirmed the long-term commitment to Al Jazeera America. We have more than 800 staff around the country and I hope you are seeing that we’re continuing to build a strong distribution network. Our relationships with distributors, advertisers, and the media industry as a whole are strong. In addition, we are working to be a part of the community everywhere we operate.

We are continuing to build a sustainable and high-performing news organization in the tradition of the Al Jazeera Media Network. And it all starts and ends with the journalism. Our recent awards are a testimony to the high level of work Al Jazeera America is producing, day in and day out. I’m proud to work with you.Kate

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